Senator Shehu Sani has stated that the terrorists and bandits responsible for widespread violence in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West are not foreigners, but local individuals from the region.
Speaking during a public discussion on insecurity, the former Kaduna Central lawmaker said claims that these armed groups come from other African countries are false. He stressed that the root of the crisis must be acknowledged honestly before any real solution can emerge.
Sani explained that the insurgents operating in the North-East are not from Congo, Malawi, Libya or Egypt, but are northerners and Muslims. He added that bandits troubling the North-West are not from Senegal, Mali, Morocco or Guinea, but are Fulani from within Nigeria.
He argued that the region must stop externalising the problem and instead face the reality that the perpetrators speak Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri — local languages that clearly identify their origins.
According to him, the number of active terrorists and bandits is often exaggerated. He estimated that the total fighters across both regions are not more than 5,000.
Sani urged Northern leaders to directly confront the issue and establish a coordinated regional security strategy based on accurate information, insisting that only internal efforts can bring lasting peace.
